Today I have audio for you from our two most recent performances: January’s Measure for Measure, directed by Mark Hulse, and February’s Henry IV part 2, directed by Richard LeComte.
Measure for Measure
Henry IV part 2
Tag Archives: Shakespeare
Shakespearean Boogaloo!
On Thursday, Feb 15, 7:30pm at the Tuscaloosa Cultural Arts Center (http://cac.tuscarts.org/contactus.php), Improbable Fictions will present a staged reading of Shakespeare’s Henry IV part 2, Shakespearean Boogaloo, directed by Richard LeComte, (richard.lecomte@ua.edu). Free and open to the public.
We’re still casting for this reading, so if you’re interested in participating, contact Richard soon!
IF’s Spring 2018 Season and Casting Call!
We’re still casting for all shows, so feel free to reach out to Nic Helms (nrhelms@ua.edu) or any of our directors if you’d like to participate!
- Thursday, Jan 18, 7:30pm at 205 Gorgas Library, a staged reading of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, directed by Mark Hulse (mchulse@crimson.ua.edu).
- Thursday, Feb 15, 7:30pm at the Tuscaloosa Cultural Arts Center (http://cac.tuscarts.org/contactus.php), a staged reading of Shakespeare’s Henry IV part 2, Electric Boogaloo, directed by Richard LeComte, dramaturgy by Austin Whitver (richard.lecomte@ua.edu, hawhitver@ua.edu).
- Late March or early April, an Easter-themed Medieval staged reading, venue TBA, directed by Deborah Parker, dramaturgy by Cordelia Ross (parkerburch@comcast.net, caross4@ua.edu).
- Thursday, Apr 19, 7:30pm at the Tuscaloosa Cultural Arts Center (http://cac.tuscarts.org/contactus.php), a staged reading of Edward Bond’s Bingo, a play about the last years of Shakespeare’s life, directed by Steve Burch (sburch@as.ua.edu).
And here’s the poster for our first show:
Cry Havoc!
If you get a spare 30 minutes (during a drive or run, perhaps), listen to the most recent Folger Shakespeare Library podcast:
http://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited/war-stephan-wolfert
Stephan Wolfert’s work with veterans and Shakespeare is worth talking about for many reasons, but one stands out as relevant to my own work on Shakespeare and mindreading. Wolfert notes that in decades of work with Shakespeare’s plays, he’s never heard a veteran question why Othello would believe the things Iago says about Desdemona. Iago and Othello served together in combat, and for former soldiers that bond serves as the ultimate foundation for trust. Don Pedro, Don John, and Claudio are in a very similar situation (if we can assume they all fought together before the start of Much Ado). So much language in the play talks about the transition from war to home life! I’ll have to keep military service in mind as I continue to work through misread minds in Shakespeare..
IF presents Titia Andronica
If you missed our staged reading on Sep 21, fear not! You can find the audio from the event here:
Apologies for the background noise at the start. It dies down once the performance begins.
On Thursday, Sep 21 at 7:30pm, at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, Improbable Fictions will present a staged reading of Titia Andronica, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. Adapted and directed by Erin Hildebrand and Courtney Parker.
Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies at the University of Alabama (english.ua.edu/grad/strode).
For more information about Improbable Fictions, please visit improbablefictions.org.
Cast
TITIA ANDRONICA – MK Foster
MARCUS ANDRONICUS – Will Ramsay
LAVINIA – Emma Leisentritt
LUCIUS – Tyler Sasser
MUTIUS – Joseph Welty
MARTIUS – Deborah Parker
QUINTUS – Lily Davenport
YOUNG LUCIUS – Joseph Welty
SATURNINUS – Charlie Bell
TAMORA – Elizabeth Theriot
DEMETRIUS – Matt Smith
CHIRON – Theodore Nollert
PUBLIUS – Deborah Parker
BASSIANUS – Geoffrey Emerson
AEMILIUS – Deborah Parker
MESSENGER – Lily Davenport
COUNTRY FELLOW – Geoffrey Emerson
GOTH – Joseph Welty
Improbable Fictions’ 2017-18 Season
Fall 2017 casting calls!
If you’re interested in reading for Titia Andronica, please contact Erin Hildebrand (eahildebrand@crimson.ua.edu) and Courtney Parker (caparker4@crimson.ua.edu).
If you’re interested in reading for Samson Agonistes, please contact Nic Helms (nrhelms@ua.edu).
If you’re interested in reading archival World War I materials at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts, please contact Deborah Parker (parkerburch@comcast.net).
Casting calls for Spring 2018 will come in December.
Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth!
IF presents Shakespeare’s *Antony and Cleopatra*, April 24
On Monday, April 24th at 7:30pm at the Tuscaloosa Cultural Arts Center, Improbable Fictions will present Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Pre-show music begins at 7:10pm. As always, IF events are free and open to the public.
(The IF event will not star Sara Bernhardt as Cleopatra. Apologies.)
Improbable Fictions, Spring 2017
I’m pleased to announce the spring 2017 lineup for Improbable Fictions! We’re organizing a wide variety of events this semester, including workshops on Shakespearean appropriations and two separate staged readings, one of Shakespeare and one of the early modern Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon. For the first four events, we ask that you RSVP to nrhelms@ua.edu to indicate your interest.
- Sunday, Jan 29th from 7:00 to 9:30pm, a cold reading workshop of Meredith Noseworthy’s What Vicious Loves. 301 Morgan Hall.
- Tuesday, Feb 7th from 7:00 to 9:30pm, a cold reading workshop of work by Diamond Forde. 301 Morgan Hall.
- Sunday, Feb 26th from 7:00 to 10:00pm, a staged reading of Meredith Noseworthy’s What Vicious Loves. 205 Gorgas Library.
- Thursday, Mar 30th from 7:30 to 9:30pm, a staged reading of Perdon Calderon’s Life is a Dream, directed by Deborah Parker (parkerburch@comcast.net). 205 Gorgas Library. Contact Deborah for details.
- Sunday, April 16th from 7:30 to 9:30pm, a staged reading of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Annie Levy (aglevy1@ua.edu). 205 Gorgas Library. Contact Annie for details.
Finally, I’d like to note that the Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies is thrilled to be hosting the American Shakespeare Center’s “Hungry Hearts Tour 2017” for two (FREE!) productions at the BAMA Theatre, February 10-11: The Two Gentleman of Verona and Romeo and Juliet.
Both performances begin at 7:30 (with pre-show music beginning at 7:00PM). These shows are free and open to the public. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is a rare opportunity to see a longstanding, professional Shakespeare company perform free of charge (most of the host institutions are charging admission for ASC shows, but we are making them available to students, faculty, and members of the community for free to encourage as broad and large an audience as possible).
We have a dedicated webpage for the ASC shows: http://english.ua.edu/grad/strode/asc
The website includes more information about both performances as well as a brief history of the ASC and its unique, high-energy performance style based on Shakespeare’s original staging conditions.
Bechdellian Shakespeare, Digitized
If you missed September’s Bechdellian Shakespeare, fret not! Here you can find audio and photos of the event, courtesy of Megan McCarter.
Sprockets and Springes 